By Emotion Betrayed
by QuothTheRaven42
Summary: Based on a plotbunny. AqualadXSpeedy SLASH! Don't like, don't read. Aqualad and Speedy have some close encounters with the third kind. Sort of. Only these aliens aren't quite what you'd expect. Rated for language. Now complete!
1. Capture

By Emotion Betrayed

Part One of Two

"This is all your fault, you know." This statement came from a purple-eyed, black-haired teenage boy, known by most as Aqualad, lounging on the floor of a cell. Glass-like walls rose from the ground to the ceiling, fifteen feet above their heads.

"Is not." The other occupant of the cell, a read-haired teen called Speedy, was seated on the opposite side of the cell, reclining against the wall.

"Is, too."

"Is not."

Aqualad smiled. "So it wasn't you who decided to mess with Cyborg's stuff, despite warnings from Bumblebee, Raven, and myself?"

Speedy flushed in embarrassment. "Don't know what you're talking about," he muttered.

"And so it obviously wasn't you who, after pressing a random button on something you had no idea what it was, decided to go outside, _alone_ I might add, to see what you had called down." Aqualad continued, smirking.

"No one asked you to follow me!"

"Like I was going to let you get yourself killed without me there," retorted the Atlantean boy.

"Aw, fish-boy, I didn't know you cared!" Speedy chuckled, leaning his head back against the smooth wall.

"Hey, if anyone is going to kill you, it's going to be me. I haven't put up with you for all these years to let some alien beat me to it."

"Of course." The archer sighed. "Any ideas yet as to how we're getting out of here?"

"Speedy, we're probably millions of miles from home, in space, on a spaceship piloted by an alien. We're trapped in a cell whose walls we can't even scratch, there's no water anywhere close, and you don't have any weapons. I'm having a little bit of difficulty figuring out how this could possibly get any worse." Aqualad's eyes drifted closed lazily.

A suctioning noise came from behind Aqualad, and Speedy paled.

"Um, Aqualad?"

The Atlantean opened one eye to stare questioningly at his cellmate.

"What?"

"It just got worse."

Both eyes shot open in surprise, then narrowed again. Aqualad sat up and turned to face the same direction as Speedy.

"Oh, shit," he swore.

Standing at what was apparently the door to the teen's cell was one of their captors, a large, green-blue alien, it's bulbous head far too large for its slender body. In its limbs – they seemed to be an awkward mix of hand and tentacle, it held a metal tray.

"Dammit," Aqualad cried again, stumbling back to stand next to Speedy at the far end of their cell.

"Not only do we get abducted by aliens, but we're abducted by creepy aliens with scary probes!" Speedy announced, starting to get a little hysterical.

"Speedy, please calm down." Aqualad sighed, turning the archer to face him. "We'll be fine."

"How the hell can you say that?" Speedy was quickly passing through "hysterical" and moving straight on into "a complete mental breakdown".

"Speedy!"

"We're going to die!"

"Roy Harper! Look at me!" The shown of hearing his true name seemed to dispel some of Speedy's hysteria. His breathing slowed and he stopped twitching.

"Roy, look at me." Aqualad turned his friend's face up towards his. "We'll be fine. No one is going to die."

"How are you doing that?" Speedy asked, almost back to his normal, although still slightly off-kilter state.

"Do what?"

"Stay so calm. All the time. It isn't natural!"

Aqualad smirked. "What, you think this is the first time I've been abducted by 'creepy aliens with scary probes'?" He slung an arm around Speedy's shoulders. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach. Damn nerves….

Throughout all this the creepy alien had held the scary probes in its tentacle hands, watching the exchange between the two boys with bright green eyes. As Aqualad's arm encircled Speedy, the alien let out a screech, throwing its tray of tools into the air. The teens dodged the array of flying objects skillfully as the alien fled the room, its feet making a squelching noise on the floor. The cell door slammed shut behind it.

"Er…what was that?"

Aqualad shook his head, speechless.

"Hey, Aqualad?"

"Hmm?" The Atlantean turned to face his friend. They both started as they realized simultaneously that Aqualad's was still holding Speedy.

"Sorry," he muttered, removing the offending limb from his friend. The butterflies had begun to dissipate. Stupid aliens.

"I'm sorry, too."

Aqualad frowned. "For what, exactly?"

"Tweaking out like that. I'm sorry."

"Hey, no worries," Aqualad assured him. "I told you we'd manage." He chuckled, sitting on the floor and mimicking Speedy's earlier positing, knees to his chest, back against the cell wall. His arms wrapped themselves around his knees.

"Speedy?" he asked after a moment.

"Yeah?" The archer sat beside Aqualad, legs stretched out before him.

"Why did you freak out so badly, though?"When Speedy didn't answer, Aqualad elaborated. "I've seen you face the Brotherhood of Evil without flinching; you've fought against countless villains and super-villains without breaking a sweat. What's so special about these aliens?"

Speedy sighed, shifting positions slightly. He let his head fall back against the wall before answering.

"When I was little, I used to get nightmares. A lot. Most of them, and all of the more vivid ones, revolved around alien abductions. It kind of freaked me out. More than kind of. It really freaked me out. I stopped having them years ago, before I started working with Green Arrow, but even now…I don't know. It still bothers me, more than I'd like to admit. Seeing it here, happening…I'm not sure what would have happened to me if you hadn't been here, hadn't snapped me out of it when you did. Thanks for that, by the way." He smirked at Aqualad, who grinned back.

"Anytime, Speed." The Atlantean sighed heavily, moving back from the wall to lie down again, head resting on his clasped hands.

"That's another thing, though," Speedy continued, looking at Aqualad. "How did you know my name?"

"The team files. 'Bee had me enter everyone's data into our computer. Seems I'm the only one she trusts not to blab." He prodded Speedy at the last comment, chuckling.

"Hey, that's not quite fair. And now you know my name, but I don't know yours."

"No one does."

Speedy waited for him to continue, but Aqualad remained silent.

"Fine, then."

An uncomfortable silence reigned for several minutes, the only noise the rustling of the teen heroes' clothing as they repositioned themselves.

"Garth."

"What?" Speedy started. He had finally began to adjust to the quiet.

"Garth. That's my name."

"Oh." Speedy paused. "Just Garth? No last name?"

"Yeah. Just Garth. Garth of Shayeris, if you're getting technical."

"Well, then." Speedy held out his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Garth of Shayeris."

"You're high," Aqualad – Garth announced, staring at the proffered hand. "Or drunk."

"Perfectly sober. Promise." Speedy smirked.

"Fine." Garth sat up, facing Roy. He leaned forward, pressing his lips softly to first his right cheek, then his left."

"Well met, Roy Harper."

"Wai – wha?" Roy stumbled over the words.

Garth smiled at his friend's confusion.

"It's the Atlantean version of shaking hands."

"Oh." Roy did not look very comforted. He turned to find Garth studying him carefully. When Roy met his gaze, however, he quickly averted it, flushing slightly.

"What is it, Garth?" Roy asked finally, the name sounding slightly odd on his lips.

"What do you mean?" Garth retorted, returning to his previous position on the floor.

"You want to say something. I can tell. So spill."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Garth protested, staring at the ceiling.

"You were scratching and your neck. You always do that when you have something to say and you're not sure how to say it."

"How in the world would you know something like that?" Garth sat up for a better view of his fellow prisoner.

Roy shrugged, uncomfortable under Garth's penetrating gaze. "I just know."

"Impeccable logic, that," muttered Garth, sarcasm dripping from his words.

"I thought it was."

"Which, roughly translated from Speedy-Speak, means that I'm not going to get a better answer, so I might as well just change the subject."

"Or you should just answer the question."

"You're not answering mine," Garth pointed out.

"Touche. So. We were changing the subject?"

"To what?"

Roy shrugged. "You were the one who wanted a change. You tell me."

Garth shook his head and opened his mouth to reply, but stopped short.

"What was that?"

Roy looked around, confused. "What was what?"

"I thought I heard something."

"And I think you're hallucinating."

Garth shrugged. "It's possible. It wouldn't be the first time."

"Oh?"

"Not a story you're going to be hearing anytime soon. Or ever."

"Aw, damn."

There was a loud rumble that echoed through the ship, which shuddered for several seconds before stalling.

"Okay, I _know_ you heard that one!" cried Garth, jumping to his feet as Roy did the same.

"What the _hell_ was that?" the archer demanded as he tried to regain his balance.

"Search me…."

"The cell door swished open once more, admitting the alien from before. Or, at least, Garth had to assume it was the dame one from earlier. He had no idea how to tell the stupid things apart.

As soon as he caught sight of their visitor, Roy yelped and moved closer to Garth, his hand gripping the Atlantean's wrist rather painfully. Garth repressed the urge to pull him closer – for friendly comfort, of course – as the alien screeched at the pair of them. This continued for several moments before it turned around and left, the cell door remaining open behind it.

"Well, that was decidedly odd," Garth commented as soon as the squelching sound of the alien's feet had faded. Roy only nodded.

"Shall we explore a bit, then?"

Once again, Roy's only response was a quick nod. Transferring his startled teammate's hand from his wrist to his own hand, Garth led them from the cell and into the ship beyond.

The only door out of the prison room led to a winding hallway. Every door off of the hall that Garth tried to open was locked. After about seven failed attempts, he sighed.

"I get the distinct impression that we're being herded…" he muttered, turning away from door seven.

"What do you mean?" These were the first words Roy had uttered since they had left the cell.

"I think they let us out on purpose in order to usher us somewhere else. They've blocked almost every door."

"Then we unblock them," Roy declared, tugging Garth by the hand, which he still held, to the next door. He reached for the handle with every intention of forcing the door open, when it swung in without protest.

"Huh." Roy stared at the door for a minute, startled. "Well, that was anti-climactic. Come on." He pulled Garth into the next hallway.

"Roy, I think you missed the entire point of my comment," Garth remarked, following the archer.

"Probably," Roy agreed. He kept glancing towards the walls of the hall, looking for doors. "Ah!"

He pushed at the door for a moment, frowning when it wouldn't budge.

Garth smirked. "Here," he said, reaching up to push at the top of the door. It still didn't move. Glaring at the door, Garth pulled his other hand from Roy's grasp, regretting the loss of contact – couldn't be too careful, you know – and shoved again. A hissing sound escaped from the door, and it began to lower, drawbridge-like, onto the ground outside.

"Is that what I think it is?" Roy asked, peering around Garth.

"I hope so. Come on." He grabbed Roy's hand once more, pulling him trough the door, into what seemed to be home but couldn't possibly be. The aliens couldn't be that stupid.

Garth ignored these thoughts, looking around. He sensed water not far away.

"Hey, Garth, look!"

The Atlantean turned, following the direction in which his friend was pointing.

"Titan's Tower West!"

Garth breathed a sigh of relief, following Roy through the open field to Jump City, and the Tower headquarters of Titans West beyond.

End Part 1.


	2. Conflict

More background on the lovely, not-exactly-homophobicaliens, as well as a conclusion to our loverly story. I'm actually oddly pleased with this. And that scares me. Because that probably means that it's horribly. However, it's the first fanfic of more than one chapter that I've actually finished, so that has to count for something. Despite the fact that it's only two chapters long. And I'll stop boring you and get on with it now.

Disclaimer: I think I forgot this last chapter. It isn't mine. Promise. None of it. Except the order of the words. And part of the plot. The rest of the plot came from a plotbunny ("Aliens with Scary Probes!" would be the one). So that part's not exactly mine... And I'm done now.

* * *

By Emotion Betrayed

Part Two of Two

It had been nearly a week since Garth and Roy had "escaped" from the alien ship. They had remained at the West Titans' Tower, and Roy had managed to almost entirely avoid his fellow Titans East-er, which both confused and annoyed the Atlantean. This coupled with his utter inability to comprehend the actions of their alien captors led him to take an action he normally would have avoided at all costs. He went to ask Raven for advice.

The West's resident sorceress had holed herself up in her room almost as soon as Garth and Roy had arrived. Had he not known Raven and her obsessive need to be alone, Garth would probably have been offended by this. As it was, he just accepted it as normal Raven behavior. This didn't make it any easier to approach the goth-girl.

Garth knocked on the door to Raven's room apprehensively, unsure of how he would be received. After what seemed like an eon, the door opened just a slit. An amethyst eye peered out, narrowing slightly when the owner recognized Garth.

"Aqualad." Raven's monotone echoed from the room. She did not seem surprised to see him, though Garth was not adept at reading Raven's moods. "What do you need?"

"I need help. And advice, probably."

Raven nodded. "I had assumed as much." Her eye disappeared from the door slit, and the door slid open. "Come in."

Garth's eyes widened and it took him several seconds to realize that yes, she was expecting him to actually enter and no, he couldn't just stand out in the hallway. That would be embarrassing, anyway, and Garth was all for avoiding public embarrassment when he could. Regaining his senses, he stepped into Raven's domain, her haven. The door shut with an audible click, shrouding the two teens in darkness.

"What do you want to know?"

It took Garth a moment to locate Raven's form in the darkened room. He finally found her standing near the wall several feet from him, hood pulled up over her head. Garth wasn't sure how she could see anything. Raven moved to turn on a desk lamp as Garth pulled his thoughts together. The small light did not light up much of the room, just enough for Garth to see Raven and her immediate surroundings.

"Couple of things, actually. And I think you're the only one who can help me."

"Look, Aqualad, I don't have all day: I need to get some meditating done. So just spit it out and be done with it."

"Fine." Garth sighed. "Do you know why those aliens let us go? Or why Ro-" He caught himself just in time. "Why Speedy has been avoiding me?"

Garth thought he saw a ghost of a smile slit across Raven's features as he finished speaking. But, no, he must have been imagining things. A trick of the light, maybe. Her face was as emotionless and impassive as ever. And what would she be smiling at, anyway?

"Well, obviously, I can't know either answer for certain. I'm not omniscient. I can make an educated guess, however. And I suspect that they are linked together."

"Wonderful," Garth muttered, running a hand through his dark hair. "Damn space-things…"

"The aliens, from what I can infer from your descriptions, are from a race called the klamdians. They are a species of empaths – they can sense the emotions of others."

"Like you."

"Yes, except they are much stronger empaths than I could ever hope to become. Anyway, the klamdians are scientists. They travel the galaxy, studying other races, feeding off of their emotions. It is how they survive, leeching the feelings from those they abduct. Almost every emotion strengthens them."

"Almost every emotion?"

"There are two emotions that actually hurt them. They are two of the very few things to which they are actually vulnerable. It also explains, I think, why Speedy has been avoiding you."

"Raven, now you're dancing around the topic. It's my turn to tell you to get to the point. You have things to do. And I'm worried about R-Speedy."

Raven sighed. "Very well. The only way the klamdians would have let you go – and we both know you didn't escape but were allowed to leave – is if you hurt them. And the only way you could have hurt them is by feeling, and feeling strongly, one of the two emotions they can't stand."

"And those emotions are?" urged Garth, impatient. "And what does Speedy have to do with them?"

"Speedy already came to ask me the same question – why you were released. I think the answer scared him. Since they let you both go, you both mush have felt at least one of the emotions."

"Raven…"

"The emotions that hurt the klamdians are love and hate."

Garth blanched. "But – but I don't hate him."

Raven nodded. "I know. And do you really think he hates you?"

Garth paused, letting her words sink in. "Shit…" he muttered, as soon as he had processed what she had said. He paced the room, head in his hands. "Shit, shit, shit…now what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Well, if you're asking my advice, and I'm going to assume that you are since you're standing here, I'd tell you to go talk to him. You're scared." When Garth opened his mouth to deny it, Raven shook her head. "Don't even try. I can feel it. I'm an empath, too, remember? And if you're afraid, don't you think he is, too? One of you two is going to have to get over yourselves and initiate a conversation. This isn't going to just sort itself out if you ignore it for long enough. You need to act. Now, if you don't mind, I need to meditate, and you need to go talk to Speedy."

Garth nodded and turned to leave the room.

"Oh, and Garth?"

The Atlantean froze, startled by the sound of his own name. He could hear the underlying amusement in the sorceress's tone.

"Don't screw this up."

The door opened, and Garth stepped out into the hall, his mind swimming with the details of his conversation. He hadn't expected Raven to be so forthcoming with her answers. He sighed and began to head downstairs – Roy had taken to hiding out in the training room in order to avoid him.

Roy was, in fact, in the training room – Garth could see glimpses of the redhead through the glass windows set in the door.

Taking a deep breath, Garth pushed that door open. Harsh German metal music pounded through the room from the stereo in the corner, Roy occasionally and absent-mindedly joining in with the lyrics.

Finally I've found myself in this land 

_Horror and madness I've seen here_

_For what I became a king of the lost?_

Barren and lifeless the land lies! 

Roy was near the back of the room, shirtless and sweaty, pounding away at a hanging punching bag. Garth's eyes followed the archer's toned form and he moved easily from kick to punch and back to kick. Finally forcing himself to move into the room, Garth approached Roy, who was still unaware of his presence. Garth tapped him gently on the shoulder, and the redhead spun around, wiping sweat off his forehead.

"You know, if you really want people to know you as something other than a Robin clone, I'd suggest coming out of here every once in a while. You're going to become just as obsessive as he is."

"What do you want, Garth?"

The Atlantean's heart flipped when he heard his name, his true name and not his pseudonym, leave the archer's mouth. Maybe he had a chance with this thing, after all.

"I talked to Raven earlier," Garth remarked casually. His comment caused Roy to freeze up. Shaking himself back into reality, Roy walked over to switch off the music.

"What did she say?" he asked as he came back towards Garth.

"Why have you been avoiding me?"

"You can never just answer a question, can you?" Roy asked bitterly, snorting.

"Apparently neither can you. Why have you been avoiding me?"

"I haven't," insisted the archer with a shrug.

"That's bull, and you know it."

Roy's eyes blazed. "How would you -"

Garth cut off his angry outburst. "Every time I enter a room, you find an excuse to leave it. When I try to talk to you, you give me some half-assed reply and run away. You avoid any and all eye contact with me. When I try to get your attention, you ignore me. You don't do it to anyone else. Just me. It's driving me crazy and I want to know why!"

"I don't see why you would care!" Roy's infamous temper was flaring, and Garth could tell.

"Because you're my friend!" Garth had begun to calm down as Roy got riled up.

"You said you had spoken with Raven. I'm assuming she told you the same thing she told me. There are two emotions that could have evoked the kind of reaction we received, and you don't hate your friends."

Garth sighed. This was probably going to be more difficult than he had hoped.

"So that's automatically the reaction you choose." He snorted. "I bet it didn't even occur to you that maybe you were wrong. Maybe hate wasn't what scared them away."

"I'm not fool, Garth. Don't treat me like one."

"Raven said that, in order for them to have released us both, we both had to be feeling one of the emotions – the two that hurt them. And you don't hate me. If you did, you wouldn't have gotten this upset."

Roy turned away from Garth, so the Atlantean could no longer see his face.

"I have no idea what you're implying," he insisted. Garth rested his hand on Roy's shoulder.

"Roy, relax. I don't hate you. I don't think I could hate you even if I wanted to."

"Then why in all nine hells did they let us go?" The archer's voice was soft, pained. Garth gently but forcefully turned him around to face him.

"You haven't figured it out yet?"

Roy's eyes widened and Garth smiled. Maybe he had finally gotten it.

"Garth, if this is a joke, then I swear to any deity that may be listening right now that I will kill you."

"I'm not going to get you to believe me like this, am I?" Garth asked, smiling all the wider. He pulled Roy closer.

"Garth…" Roy's voice held a warning tone.

"Roy, just shut up for once, would you?"

The archer fell silent. Garth's hand fell from Roy's shoulder to wrap around his waist, and his other hand cupped Roy's chin.

"It's not to late," Garth whispered as Roy's hand moved to rest against the Atlantean's cheek, "to pull away."

"Garth." Roy smirked, arm around Garth's neck. "Shut up."

"Ok."

Garth tilted Roy's face up and leaned down, pressing his lips to the archer's. Roy inhaled sharply, startled despite all the signs, before returning the kiss, tightening his hold on Garth.

After a few moments, Garth pulled away.

"Now do you believe me?"

Roy chuckled. "I suppose. If I must."

"Good." Garth kissed him once more. "Now go take a shower. You smell funny."

Roy stuck his tongue out at the Atlantean in astounding display of maturity before pulling out of his hold and heading to the door.

"Roy?" Garth's voice stopped him short, with his hand on the doorknob.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Roy smiled happily. "I love you, too." He opened the door before turning back to Garth. "Now, are you coming or not?"

Garth's eyes widened in surprise before he shrugged slightly and follow the archer – his archer out of the room. The door swung shut behind them.

A purple-cloaked figure materialized out of the shadows in the corner of the room. Raven stared at the door for several moments before smiling slightly.

"It's about time. Hey, Star?"

"Yes, friend Raven?" The Tameranean girl's voice echoed through the Titan Communicator in Raven's hand.

"Tell Cy he can take the set down. We're done here."

"Glorious! I shall tell friend Cyborg that our plan was a success! And I must say, friend Raven, your use of my people's legend of the klamdians was most clever!"

"Starfire, do us all a favor and never mention this again. Especially in front of Aqualad or Speedy."

"Agreed, friend Raven! Friend Cyborg and I shall begin the deconstruction!"

"Good. And Star?"

"Yes?"

"Be careful. Don't blow anything up."

"Of course not, friend Raven! Starfire out!"

Raven sighed, closing her own communicator before teleporting herself up to her room. She needed to meditate.

El Fin.


End file.
